


For the Last Time

by SeasaltSunsets



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Data Twilight Town, Goodbyes, M/M, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27945764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeasaltSunsets/pseuds/SeasaltSunsets
Summary: Hayner gets closure.
Relationships: Hayner/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	For the Last Time

**Author's Note:**

> The relationship between Data Hayner and Roxas is something that is so important and personal to me.

It was like clockwork.

He wasn’t sure at this point what was that drew him here. But every Tuesday at the exact same time, just as the clock struck 5, he found himself in the exact same place. Towering over the town, two sea-salt ice creams in hand. It felt as though he was waiting for someone, but he could never quite put his finger on the who exactly.

The clock tower, of course, had always been a special place for he and his friends. Ever since they’d broken off the lock to the stairs way back when they were kids, they’d come up here when they needed a change of scenery from the bleakness of their usual spot. He was sure the path had been shut off as to avoid having an accident happen, but then again he couldn’t exactly remember a time that his gang had any sense of self-preservation or respect for laws and authority. Pence and Olette may seem like they’d have a more logical side, but they were just as chaotic as he was. Always looking for an adventure. Always looking for trouble. Hell, they were the ones that suggested they break into the Haunted Mansion to look for ghosts even though they’d been warned against doing so. The town might have viewed Hayner as the sole instigator to their mischievous antics, but the truth was that they were three peas in a pod.

The point is, the location wasn’t what threw him off. Except for maybe the fact that Hayner hardly ever came up here without one or the other or both at his side and he was almost positive that it wasn’t them he was waiting for. Still, he could see why it had to be here.

But why at this exact time? Why on this specific day? Why two ice creams?

It's been a couple of weeks since he started doing this. When had it been exactly? The last week of Summer? Sometime during the week of the Struggle Tournament. There was this feeling that sank in as though something- no, someone was missing. It frustrated him to no end and he could tell that he’s been more aggravated ever since. He knows Pence and Olette have been worried about him, but what was he supposed to tell them? _‘Oh hey guys, don’t you feel like a huge part of your life is gone all of a sudden but you don’t know what it is and you think it’s going to drive you into the ground if you don’t figure it out or even worse, drive you to insanity because OH BOY, I really think I’m starting to lose it here folks!’_

Yeah, fat chance.

A small ‘tch’ and a growl and Hayner was about near ready to throw both treats and watch them splatter to the ground in front of the train station out of pure agitation at himself and the world when something made him freeze.

A voice.

“Hayner?”

Hayner turned abruptly to meet the intruder, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. He expected to see Pence or Olette or someone he knew. But instead he found a boy with blond hair, spiked every which way that could rival Hayner’s own ridiculous style, and a set of blue eyes that were only complemented by the sun.

But what stood out the most was the guilt written all over his face and that was the only part Hayner could find himself focusing on. Not the familiarity he felt with those eyes, not the fact that this boy knew his name. The better part of him wanted to make sure he was okay over anything else. He wanted to reach out, to do something, anything, to calm his worries. To alleviate whatever it was that made him look so… so sad. But he couldn’t understand why.

Hayner offered him the ice cream. Ice cream always made everyone feel better right?

There was a hesitance when the boy reached out and stopped just as he was about to take the stick in his hand. Hayner almost wanted to retract the offer and meet him with an apology in embarrassment instead, but he didn’t. Something told him that this had been the right move and who was he to argue with his conscience? It’s not like he’s fared any better against it lately. It was the whole reason he was even here in the first place.

The boy eventually took it, mumbled a small thanks, and took the space next to Hayner on the ledge of the Tower.

A stillness fell between them and the only time it was cut was when they made another move to bite into their respective ice creams. Hayner wasn’t the type that was friends with silence. It made him uncomfortable, uneasy. Restless. But right now, he was… alright with it. He was even nearly convinced that if they didn’t say a word to each other, he would be absolutely okay with that too.

“Do you remember me?” the boy was soft-spoken. Everything.. Everything about him reminded Hayner of trips to the Beach. The setting sun on the horizon and the sound of the waves as they crashed against the shore.

But..

“No.” he admitted. He wanted to. He wanted to believe that he did, in some lifetime or another and at the same time that thought scared him. The boy didn’t react, which made Hayner believe that he’d already been expecting that answer from him. The frustration only grew. It bothered him so much. It wasn’t fair. There was no way.. there was no way he could forget eyes like that. So why was this kid acting like he SHOULD know. More importantly… why was the little voice in his head telling him that.. this was the person he’s been waiting for..?

“Do you remember how we kept fucking around one day and you brought me up here for the first time to show me ‘ _something super duper awesome_ ’?” The boy continued, despite already knowing that, no, Hayner didn’t remember. _Weirdo._

The smile that the stranger wore at reminiscing on a memory he supposedly had threatened to annoy Hayner even more than he already was. Not because he hated it, but because his first thought upon seeing it was that he missed it. But how the hell could he miss something he’d never even seen before? How could this one twitch of the lips make him want to believe everything that came out of them? Why did he feel like he was melting just by being so close to it? It burned. Every second his eyes stayed trained on that damn smile made his cheeks burn and his head swim.

“But when we got here, the mayor had chained the door up again so we spent most of the day trying to get it off.”

_Stop. Stop. Stop smiling._

“You insisted it was a personal attack against you as you tried to beat the lock with a rock and you ended up cutting your hand on it.”

That was something he would do.

“I had to nurse you back to health all on my own,” the boy looked proud and for a second Hayner wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. “And I wondered… what would you do without me?”

There was a pause. And then he did what Hayner had wanted him to do. He stopped smiling. Hayner felt like he could breathe again.

“W-we climbed up as soon as we could budge through the door and you showed me the view from the top.”

“And you kept going on and on about how Twilight Town had the best sunset, but that everyone was too chicken to come up and see it from the best spot and you wanted to separate me from the rest of the ‘losers’.”

“We talked a lot that day. And I wasn’t very good at conversation at the time, there- there was a lot going on with me. But I knew that you would fill the silence. You always did. And you didn’t mind, you just.. You just always looked so happy to just _be_ with me. And I was happy to just be with you.”

“You.. you bought me an ice cream. Do you remember... the winner stick we won? I wanted to cash it in but you stopped me. Said it was special and that I should keep it. I promised I would.”

“Sorry I broke that promise..”

“-And then I kissed you.” Hayner blurted out and that gained the boy’s full attention. It surprised both of them. Hayner wasn’t even sure where that had come from. Even though he said it, his mind still couldn’t conjure up the image. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He was so so stupid. Why did he say that? He wanted to shrivel up. He wanted the boy to look away. He didn’t think he could handle what he would find in those eyes if he looked at him directly.

“Yeah.. yeah you did..” the boy responded, a little breathless, a little hopeful.

It was Hayner’s turn to feel guilty.

Neither of them knew how to proceed from there and the kind of silence that Hayner hated, the kind that he was used to, settled in. He wanted to say something. He wanted to do something. He wanted to fucking remember and feel the loss from what once had been. But all he was doing was grasping for a lifeline way out of his reach. His eyes burned with every single emotion he was struggling to comprehend and just as he was sure he was going to reach his breaking point.. the boy spoke again.

“Can I..?” the boy shifted and Hayner instinctively reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, out of fear that he’d fall off.

Hayner knew what he was asking. The stranger didn’t need to finish his question for him to figure it out. The problem was… did Hayner _want_ to? No.. that wasn’t quite the predicament was it? It was more of an issue with.. was he ready to?

Hayner had never been one to overthink things. He was rash, he was unpredictable. But he hasn’t felt like himself in weeks. He’d barely spoken a word and he was worrying over something that probably wasn’t even real. A dream. This had to be some sort of fucked up dream or else why would-

He nodded. A split second decision he still wasn’t sure whether or not he’d regret.

And with that, the boy took a chance. He kissed Hayner.

It was sweet, it was tender, and it was careful. It was slow, or maybe it just felt like the world around them had slowed down. Just for the two of them. Hayner cupped his cheek. It was soft and it felt like his hand belonged there. A warmth bloomed in his chest and then...

_Roxas._

_Roxas._

Roxas. He was Roxas. His best friend.

...this had to be some sort of fucked up dream or else why would the universe be so cruel to him otherwise? Why would the universe give him Roxas only to tear him away in the end? Why would it make him forget every single moment they shared? The intimate, the casual, all of it.. Why would.. Why would he come back only for this to feel like a goodbye?

Why did this feel like a goodbye?

This felt like a goodbye.

No.

No.

He didn’t want it. He didn’t want it.

But… it was never about what he wanted, was it?

The closure would have to do. Finding and keeping the lost memories, would have to do.

Hayner nods. A silent understanding. Roxas didn’t belong here. He wasn’t his. He never was in the first place, was he? That week of summer. False memories or not. They were his. It was theirs.

This was theirs.

Even if Roxas had to leave again. Hayner could move on now.

He swiped a hand across his eyes. He never did like crying in front of others. 

Hayner took one of Roxas' hands in his, held it for a second, and then placed something in it. 

A winner stick.

"Keep it this time, okay?" 

Roxas looked up at him, eyes searching, and when he found whatever it was that he was looking for.. he smiled again. 

"It's a promise."


End file.
